Tuning instrument.



PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

C. P. DOLAN.

TUNING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1901.

I II- VII/l THE NORRIS PETERS CO, WASIHNGHJN, L)v C CHARLES P. DOLAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TUNING INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed March 27, 1907. Serial N0. 364,790.

To all wit/0777 it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES P. DOLAN, a citizen of the United. States, and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Tuning Instruments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel, convenient and compact, and thoroughly efficient device for use in tuning musical instruments, such as pianos, or-

gans, etc., so constructed and arranged that the tuning of such an instrument is readily accomplished by one more or less unskilled in the art. My invention is also of great value and assistance in teaching those who desire to become skilled in tuning musical instruments, the tuning instrument to be hereinafter described serving as a guide to setting a perfect temperament and demonstrating the perfect intervals, as 3rds, 4ths, 5ths and 6ths.

The device is of small compass, enabling it to be readily carried about from place to place by the user, and when operated the user has both hands free for the manipulation of the instrument to be tuned.

The various novel features of construction and arrangement comprehended in myinvention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed outin the following claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tuning instrument embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a right-hand end elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a partial top plan view of the instrument shown in Fig. 1, with the top of the sound-chamber removed. Fig. 4 is a transverse, vertical section on the line 44, Fig. 1, looking toward the left; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional detail through the windchest, on the line 55, Fig. 4, looking up;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a modified form of my invention, to be described, whereby concert or international pitch may be used in tuning, as desired.

Referring to the drawings, the tuning device comprises a rectangular, oblong box or casing A, preferably nadeof wood, divided by an internal partitlon 1 into a wind-chest W and a sound-chamber S, see Fig. 4, the box A being of such dimensions that it may be readily transported. and carried in the coatpocket, if desired. In the top 2 of the soundchamber is a single emission opening 3, into which is inserted the stem of a horn 4, of wellknown shape, and herein I have shown the sound-chainber S as superposed upon the wind-chest IV, being divided therefrom by the tightly-fitted partition 1. Said partition is shown in Fig. 4 as supported on shoulders 5 on the front and rear walls of the box A, the partition extending from end to end of the box, and being thickened at its rear portion to form a longitudinal stop-shoulder 6. A series of reed-openings 7 are made in the partition in front of said shoulder 6, see Figs. 3 and 4, and on the under side of the'partition are attached a series of reed-blocks 8, each slotted to form a reed-chamber 9 in which plays a reed 10, the reed-blocks being so located with relation to the reed-openings 7 that the enlarged lower portion of one of such openings is above each reed-chamber adj acent the free end of the reed 10 therein. An undercut strip 1 1 of wood is secured to the under side of the partition 1 and serves to hold the front ends of the reed-blocks in position, their rear ends being held by any suitable means. Herein I have shown a washer 12 and a screw 13 foreach reed-block, for this purpose, Figs. 4 and 5.

It will be seen that all of the reeds are exposed in the upper portion of the Wind-chest IV, the latter having an inlet opening 14 into which is inserted a tube 15, partly shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6, by means of which air under pressure is forced into the chest. Preferably such tube is of rubber or other flexible material, and it may be connected with any airpressure producing means. I prefer to use it as a mouthpipe, the operator placing the free end in his mouth and blowing air into the wind-chest when using the device.

In front of the opening 14 I place an upright metallic plate 16 to serve as a distributor for the air blast, and also to prevent any moisture in the incoming air from coming into direct contact with the reeds, as such moisture would cause them to corrode in a short time. Any such moisture gathers on the shield 16 and drops down to an escape valve, to be referred to.

The reed-openings are governed by sidevalves 17, mounted on the top of the partition 1 and slidable toward and from the shoulder 6, which limits the inward or closing movement of the valves. Guide-pins 18 in the partition direct the movements of the valves and prevent lateral displacement, each valve having an attached stem 18 which extends through a close-fitting hole in the front wall of the casing A, and a suitable pull or handle 19 is secured to the outer end of each stem. In order to retain the valves in open or closed position and to maintain them seated on the partition I provide aseries of bent leai springs 20, secured at 21 to the partition back of the shoulder 6, the free ends of the springs bearing yieldingly on the upper faces of the valves. The pressure of the spring not only keeps the valve from rattling, but it presses it snugly onto the partition and main tains it in its open or closed position, as the case may be.

i In order to cause a given reed to sound its note the corresponding valve-pull 19 is drawn outward, uncovering the correspond ing reed-opening 7, and when the wind-chest is filled with air the reed will produce the tone desired. Any combination of reeds may be caused to sound simultaneously by proper manipulation of their valves, as will be manifest. By means of the closed sound-chamber S above the series of reed-chambers the single or combined tones are emitted through the one outlet 8,l;'and by using a horn or similar device the tone, or combined tones, will be intensified as emitted, the horn also purifying the tone of any reedy qualities.

The wind-chest is of ample size to contain a large volume of air, and this, with the closed sound-chamber, causes the tones produced by the instrument to be clear and even, and they may be sustained at an even pitch as long as the operator may wish.

As shown by the valve pulls in Fig. 1 I have provided the tuning instrument with thirteen reeds, as the same can be arranged to include what is technically termed the equal temperament, the adjustment of the several reeds being such as to produce the exact tones desired.

As a guide to the user the tones of the several reeds are indicated, either on the valve handles or on the casing adjacent thereto, the latter arrangement being shown in Fig. 1.

The bottom of the wind-chest has a small opening 22, Fig. 4, for the escape of moisture, a spring-valve 23 normally closing said opening.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 I have illustrated a double instrument, comprising two sound-chambers S, S and an interposed wind-chest IV separated from said chambers by the two partitions 1 each partition being a duplicate of the other but reversely arranged. Each partition is provided on the side within the wind-chest with a series of reed-blocks 8 and their reeds 10 the valves 1'7 on the opposite sides of the partitions governing the reed-openings 7 in the partitions. An inspection of the construction Fig. 6 Will make it plain that the details of construction are substantially like those shown in Fig. 1, save that there are two sound-chambers, sets of reeds, valves, etc., each chamber having an emission opening 8*. One set of reeds is tuned to high or concert pitch, and the other set to low or international pitch, the two difl'ering by nearly half a tone, and either may be used as desired, the

horn 4, Figs. 1 and 2, being inserted in the opening 8X of the sound-chamber which corresponds to the set of reeds of the chosen pitch. The air is introduced to the windchest by a tube 15, as before, inserted .in the. opening w My invention is not restricted. to the exact details shown and described, as the same may be modified in dii'lerent practical features without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, a wind-chest, and a closed sound-ch amber having a single outlet provided with. a horn, a tube communicating with the wind-chest to deliver air thereto under pressure, a partition separating said wind-chest and sound chamher, and provided with a series of openings, a series of reeds supported on the partition adjacent the openings therein, valves slidably mounted on the partition to open andv close the openings therein, and valve-o j)erating handles connected with the valves and operative from the exterior of the sound-chamber.

2. In a device of the class described, a wind-chest having a single air-inlet, a juxtaposed sound-chamber having a single outlet, a partition dividing the chest {LIlClUlliLll'llXT and having a series of reed-openings therein, reeds mounted on the partition within the wind-chest and below the reed-openings, and valves cooperating with the said openings, slidably mounted on the partition and operative'from the exterior of the sound-chamber.

3. In a device of the class described, a wind-chest having a single air-inlet, a juxtaposed so Lind-chamber having a single outlet, a partition dividing the chest and chamber and having a series of reed-openings therein, a series of blocks having reed-cl'iambers therein mounted on the under side of the partition and each provided with a reed, the free end of each reed lying beneath a reed-open ing, slide valves mounted on the top oi the partition, to open or close the reed-openings, means to yieldingly retain a valve in open. or closed position, and externally accessible stems connected with and to operate the valves.

4. In a device of the class described, a

wind-chest provided with means to introduce thereto air under pressure, an adjacent sound chamber having a single outlet, a partition separating the wind-chest and soundchamber and having a stopshoulder and a series of reed-openings near the shoulder, slide-valves movable on the partition toward and from the shoulder, to open and close the reed-openings, means to operate the valves from the exterior of the apparatus, springs bearing on the valves to maintain them in open or closed position, and a series of reeds in the wind-chest and mounted on the partition with their free ends opposite the reedopenings therein.

5. In a device of the class described, a wind-chest having a single air-inlet, a juxtaposed sound-chamber having a single outlet, a partition dividing the chest and chamber and having a series of reed-openings therein, reeds mounted on the partition within the wind-chest and below the reed-openings, slidevalves mounted on the partition, to open and close the reed-openings therein, a common stop to limit closing movement of the valves, retaining devices yieldingly bearing on the valves to maintain them in open or closed position, and valve stems extended through the wall of the sound-chamber and having handles secured to their outer ends.

6. In a device of the class described, a wind-chest and a superposed sound-chamber, an outlet for the latter provided with a horn, a

partition dividing said chest and chamber,

and provided with a series of reed-openings, a flexible air-delivery tube connected with the wind-chest, means within the latter for distributing the air evenly therethrough, reeds within the wind-chest mounted on the partition below the reed-openings, and externally operated slide-valves mounted 011 the partition within the sound-chamber, to open and close the reed-openings.

7. In a tuning device, two sound-chambers, each having a single outlet, an interposed wind-chest, means to deliver air thereinto under pressure, partitions separating the wind-chest from the sound-chambers, each partition having a series of reed-openings, co-operating valves, operative from the exterior oi. the apparatus, a series 01 chambered reed-blocks mounted on each partition within the Wind-chest, and reeds carried by the blocks and having their free ends opposite the reed-openings, one set of reeds being tuned to concert and the other to international pitch, whereby by operating one or the other set of valves the device may be used for either pitch.

S. In a device of the class described, a wind-chest and an adjacent sound-chamber, the latter having a single emission opening, a partition dividing the chest and chamber and provided with a series of reed-openings, an air-delivery tube connected with the windchest, a metallic shield in the chest in front of the tube, to distribute the air and also to collect any incoming moisture, an escape valve for moisture collected. by the shield, reeds within the wind-chest and mounted on the partition adjacent the reed-openings therein, and externally operated slide-valves to open and close the reed-openings.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES P. DOLAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. EDWARDS, ELIZABETH It. MORRISON. 

